Obama White House Seeks to Ease US Sanctions Against Iran

After the recent set of sanctions placed on Iran by the UN, the US Congress is hard at work on their own set of sanctions. The Obama administration, however, is now pushing in the opposite direction against Congress fearing the sanctions may go too far.
The new legislation would punish companies that sell refined petroleum products to Iran or help the country’s oil industry. These actions have strong congressional support.

However, the administration fears that the legislation also could damage relations with Europe, Russia and China, all of whom cooperated with U.S. efforts on the U.N. sanctions. To avoid that possibility, the administration wants authority to waive U.S. punishment against companies from countries that have cooperated on Iran. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) says, “The administration doesn’t carry out the laws that are on the books, and they want the new law to be as weak and loophole-ridden as possible.”

This is a particularly concerning revelation. The Obama administration has been extremely ineffective in dealing the Iranian desire for nuclear capabilities. On the same day that Iranian President claimed that Israel is, “doomed,” word of Obama’s lack of desire to pressure Iran and enforce sanctions jeopardizes national security, essentially appeasing the Iranian government and buying more time for it to continue work on its nuclear program.